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Jan 17, 2017

MOTIVATION, HABITS, DISCIPLINE

by Nellie NuttingEach year I
attend a national conference for my business, and each year I return
rejuvenated and energized and feel as if I could change the world…..then the
bubble pops – I return to earth and resume where I had left off. Have you ever wondered what that’s all
about? Why is it that one day we can
leap tall buildings and talk to anyone and the next we are weak and shy? There are three words that, if we capture the
strength of each, can be a great tool for maintaining focus and consistency in
all areas of life. You might say success
is built with these very powerful words - MOTIVATION, HABITS, and
DISCIPLINE.

Big events,
inspirational speakers, a favorite song, even the bathroom scale can all motivate
me. Motivation is what gets us started
working toward a great goal. I know when
my resolve is waning it is time to re-motivate.
Motivation is an emotion and we have to feed it continually. I use tools to help me like watching TED Talks
on YouTube, listening to Darren Daily’s, and reading an inspirational book on a
topic I am interested. Motivation will get us started on a goal, but
it will not get us through. For that we
must call upon our HABITS and DISCIPLINE.

Og Mendino
says, “If we must be a slave to habits, let us be a slave to GOOD habits.” Over that past three years my husband and I
have developed the habit of exercising in the morning. We even got our neighbors involved which has
been a great motivator because each week we tradeoff who drives – one week it’s
us, the next it’s them. This reinforces
the habit of getting up early enough to be ready – we don’t want to let our
neighbors down! Habits take time to
develop, and in our instant gratification society many of us are unwilling to
give enough time and attention to create a habit.

Discipline
is not an emotion. When motivation
fades, discipline kicks in. It is
Discipline and commitment that take us above and beyond what is “normal”. When it is uncomfortable, or even painful, it
is discipline that keeps us going. To become a highly disciplined person we
must care more than normal and do more than necessary. When we master discipline we can accomplish
our goals.

In BNI we
meet weekly. And our meetings are positive and uplifting. Just the weekly motivation I need! We give a short presentation about our
business and a referral or testimony for another business. I have gotten into the habit of reflecting on
the week and compiling what I will say at my meeting the night before. Scheduling 1 2 1’s right after the meeting
ends or during open networking is a discipline I am working on. It is not required of me and no one knows if
I complete this task or not – it is something I do because I care about growing
as a team and getting to know the needs, wants, and goals of my fellow members.
This is how we cultivate a strong chapter – it really is in the POWER OF ONE!

I encourage
you to take a look at your business life – specifically your BNI
membership. See where you can increase
your motivation, change or pick up a habit, and sprinkle in a pinch of
discipline. It’s in the little things,
compounded daily, that make a profound difference in our final results! Happy connecting!